Meat quality at grocery stores

[Joe_]

Does anyone have any feedback on the quality of meat (or produce) at the major grocery store chains?
I always assume that Sobey's, Metro and Loblaws offer higher quality meat and produce than No Frills, Freshco/Price Chopper or Food Basics, but I think it is different when there is a flyer special.

Metro is usually more expensive, but I have seen both Metro and No Frills offer chicken breast for $1.99/lb in their flyers. I used to work at Metro, and a few co-workers told me even if both stores have it on flyer for $1.99/lb, Metro's will still be a higher quality product.

But I'm not sure. I don't know if I am imaging it or not, but on flyer meat, the quality seems to taste the same wherever I bought it.

[anisa]

there are industry standards for meat that are used to classify based on quality. i know there is for beef, not sure about chicken.

try googling for industry websites that might have info on how they classify based on quality.

as for the more expensive stores having better quality? i think the more expensive stores might offer a bigger variety of qualities, but that does not automatically mean that everything at metro/sobey's etc is better quality.

the breasts they have on sale might very well be the same quality as the ones at no frills/freshco etc.


good Q btw

[Natalka]

I actually think it tends to vary by individual store, not necessarily the chain. I'm in Sask.

The vast majority of our meat I buy at Sobey's and Co-op, sometimes at Safeway, rarely at Extra.
But for example, the Safeway which is actually closest to us, and the biggest, has the poorest quality meat. For Safeway meat, I go to one of the smaller stores.
Co-op always has good meat. I haven't noticed a difference between the three Sobey's we go to.

For produce, not much difference between the aforementioned, except that Sobey's has been awesome with dollar days happening over the past few months, so it's been great to get very good prices for veggies into the winter like this. Safeway is the most expensive for produce here.

[SassyAshley]

I have to say that Meat is one of those things.

I find in general Sobey's has great meat but the price matches the quality so we only purchase there when on sale.

So far I have not been overly impressed with Metro, last time they has chicken breast on sale they did not look that great just based on the look I did not purchase.

No Frills is very hit and miss, I have purchased meat there but only when it is on sale and they get in large batches, I find our No Frills does not go through a lot of meat unless it is on sale and you can see that it sit there for quite some time.

I do not really shop at Food Basics not sure what it is but I really do not like ours, it feels like a really dirty store so I do not enjoy shopping there. I cannot buy food somewhere that always feels dirty. If we do go in we only seem to ever buy pre packaged foods.

Freshco actually has amazing meat and is where we actually buy a lot of our meat whether it be meat that is one sale or meat that is marked down. I filled a good chunk of my freezer with marked down meat most of which was not even close to expiry, it was marked down as they keep getting over shipments they knew they would not sell so they would mark it down even on the first day of the sale.

But again I think a lot of it varies from Store to Store and isn't always from chain to chain.

[mickey53]

I usually buy steaks when they are on sale at NoFrills or Metro, both have good steak for the bbq, and usually get roasts at Metro.

[blueeyetea]

I do not really shop at Food Basics not sure what it is but I really do not like ours, it feels like a really dirty store so I do not enjoy shopping there.

I have the same impression from my local Food Basics. It always looks dirty because fruits and vegetables are stacked on the floor in cardboard boxes instead of being arranged on a table or counter. And people being people, they throw things on the floor and the debris stays there because there's not enough staff to go around and clean up the floor.

[blueeyetea]

I always buy my meat at Farm Boy, a smaller chain store in Ontario, because I find their quality is better. I don't like buying meat at Loblaws because the cheaper option is always "pre-seasoned" which I just hate, and the untouched stuff is priced higher than what I would pay at Farm Boy. Food Basics, like SassyAshley says I don't like, but even then, I don't like the look of the meat and wouldn't buy any there whatever the price.

Costco's meat is excellent quality, I hear. (I don't have a membership.)

[Abby5]

I don't eat it. But the rest of my family now only likes Costco meat--even the little knows if it is from any where else

[Arch_Dandy]

I've been thinking about buy a Costco membership and I've heard from numerous places the quality of meat is really good. Does anyone know how the price compares to other stores for meat?

[blueeyetea]

I say the price is comparable to other stores, not really that much cheaper. The difference is that the packages are bigger. You can't just go in and buy one chicken, but two or three at a time, so a freezer is an absolute necessity.

If you're not sure about the membership, you can try out Costco by buying a gift card through someone who is already a member. I call it the $200 store bdcause I'm too sensitive to impulse buying. Unlike a regular grocery store where an impuse buy will cost you a couple of dollars, Costco's costs me at least $15, so it gets up there fast.

[miztia]

I was told by someone that works in the industry, that the longer meat it is hung, the better grade/taste it gets. He said Costco meat is by far better quality than regular chain grocery stores.

[Zonny]

I've been thinking about buy a Costco membership and I've heard from numerous places the quality of meat is really good. Does anyone know how the price compares to other stores for meat?

I never used to bother much with Costco for meat (except for steak), but now I'm sold, that's pretty much where we buy all our meat (except hamburger - it's no cheaper there that I can tell, and the quality isn't different that I can tell either).

At Costco in NS, chicken drumsticks and thighs are about $5/kg or so or slightly more, which is still cheaper than regular grocery store prices here (although I never pay regular price for meat at the grocery store). However, the Costco meat is MUCH better IMO. The main downside is, one package is about $15 - $20, so as blueeyetea said, you must have a freezer. Chickens come three to a pack for about $25. Their steak is 10x better than what I can get in the local Sobeys or Superstore - mostly cut thick (which is how I prefer). A pack of sirloin grilling steak is about $20-25, but it's exceptional.

I've never bought meat at No Frills (except hams), but I feel the same way about it, it just doesn't seem as good for some reason, I don't know why I have that idea in my head since I've never had it.

[anisa]

another alternative is an independent butcher, if you have one available to you.

i buy all my meat from a place that raises their own animals, butchers the carcass in house. i know how the animals are raised/fed, and i know the meat is all processed by them.

it costs a little more, but then i think the grocery store prices are an unfair comparison. when you have places like xl foods mass producing tainted meat, i would rather not take my chances.

the only reason i have turned to independant butchers is because of religious guidelines for the meat i consume. if it wasn't for that i would still be buying meat at the grocery store. i am glad i made the switch just for the cleanliness/health issues involved.

again, it may not be for everyone, but it is definitly an option that exists. if you find a butcher you are interested in, ask questions. where does the meat come from? how is it raised/fed? do they themselves butcher all the meat they sell, or are they buying some of it from the larger meat processing plants? (apparently some independant butchers had been buying ground beef from xl foods)

[marstec]

I buy all my beef from Costco. It is AAA beef and worth the extra money, imo. Even the ground beef tends to render less fat/water than from other stores. I buy all my pork products there too, from boneless chops to ribs to bacon. The frozen fish is a good buy as well because they are individually sealed and always in good condition.

I don't buy chicken from there because I find it cheaper elsewhere and the quality isn't as spotty at other stores, unlike the beef. I used to be tempted by the cheap steaks advertised at Sobey's etc, but I was always disappointed in the quality. Now, I pay more, but we use it all, not nearly as much waste as with cheap tough meat.

[Joe_]

Thanks to all who replied.
I too have heard about the meat quality at Costco, but I don't have a membership, so I cannot comment.

@anisa - one of my co-workers buys her meat from an independent farmer, and she offered me a taste once - HUGE difference, the chicken had an incredible "real chicken" flavour I hadn't experienced in years.

I tested my theory this weekend - Metro had boneless, skinless chicken breast on sale for $3.99/lb. No Frills had them for $3.44/lb.
I cooked them the exact same way - and the Metro ones did seem to taste better, and were moister - but I am not 100% sure if they only seemed that way because I knew which was which, or whether there actually was a real difference.